The Name of the Wind

Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1

By: Patrick Rothfuss

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover #1 New York Times bestselling Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle.

“I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

“He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” (George R. R. Martin)

“Rothfuss has real talent.” (Terry Brooks)

Over 1 Million Copies Sold!

Day One: The Name of the Wind

My name is Kvothe.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature - the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

Praise for The Kingkiller Chronicle:

“The best epic fantasy I read last year.... He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” (George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire)

“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.” (Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of Shannara)

"It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing...with true music in the words." (Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of Earthsea)

"The characters are real and the magic is true.” (Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice)

"Masterful.... There is a beauty to Pat's writing that defies description." (Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of Mistborn)

©2007 by Patrick Rothfuss. (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The originality of Rothfuss's outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution…As absorbing on a second reading as it is on the first, this is the type of assured, rich first novel most writers can only dream of producing. The fantasy world has a new star.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Fantasy readers-a notoriously discerning group-tend to dole out praise judiciously, which makes the reception of The Name of the Wind, the first volume in Patrick Rothfuss's The Kingkiller Chronicle, that much more remarkable. Critics are already throwing around comparisons to some of the biggest names in fantasy, including George R. R. Martin, Tad Williams, the recently deceased Robert Jordan, and even Tolkien. (Bookmarks Magazine)

“New fantasy authors are usually overhyped, and it's rare to find one who writes with such assurance and narrative skill right from the start. I was reminded of Ursula LeGuin, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkien, but never felt that Rothfuss was imitating anyone. Like the writers he clearly admires, he's an old-fashioned storyteller working with traditional elements, but his voice is his own. I haven't been so gripped by a new fantasy series in years. It's certain to become a classic." (Lisa Tuttle, The Times)

Roller coaster ride

If you could sum up The Name of the Wind in three words, what would they be?

Up and down

Any additional comments?

This is a very long story & very emotional. Most of it is sad. Always. Looking for the girl, finding her but the relationship never comes to fruition. A boy introduced to tragedy when his family & troupe are all murdered. He goes on for many years living in the streets then finds his way to the university, the Arcanam. This is where the adventure takes its many twists & turns for this very talented young man who will grow up to become a legend
Never super exciting but always interesting read by a master. This is a really good listen & the next book should get to some of the answers we are teased about & will be looking for as the legend is about to grow

The way this book was meant to be "read"

I can not get enough of this book. Do you ever have those books you see in stores right when they come out? You pick it up, read the back, get a little drawn in, but for some reason, you just never get into it. This happened to me. I read the first chapter in a preview on my phone, and it didn't suck me in. A year or so later, my friends were telling me how great it was, but I was knee deep into the Wheel of Time series, and I wasn't about to go jaunting off into another book unprepared. Plus, I just had to finish that series. So finally, about a 7 or 8 months back, I had two credits left, and my audible subscription was about to expire, so on a whim, I used them both on this book, and the second of this series. Wow. This book is written as if the main character is telling the story of his life, over the course of three days, hence day 1 for book 1, day 2 for book 2, and so on. Listening to this Audiobook, I feel as if I am sitting right there around the table, having a slice of his apple pie, and some apple cider to wash it down.

Nick Podehl does an incredible job of getting the right tone out of the excellent words that Rothfuss writes. I can hear the laughter in his voice, the pride, the hate. I have read hundreds of books, and not a single one of them has gotten me as close to tears as this series has. Even my second time through the books, and I find myself tearing up.

And Patrick Rothfuss! This man is incredible. If you ever want to write, I would not suggest reading these books. The details alone. I am currently on my second listen, and the world that he has created, all the tiny details. It makes you feel like every word in this book was written with a purpose. Not a single line is wasted. I have been drawn into books before, but not like this.

Now no review would be complete without a little complaint. Like I said in the beginning, the book is a little slow to start. I have to admit, with a little shame, that I was slightly bored in the first few chapters. Largely due to the voice acting. As much as I love it now, it grated on my when I first started listening. But as I listened more and more, it grew on me. There are a few characters that seem a little out of place, like one of the guys in the very beginning had what seemed like a Brooklyn accent, which sounded so odd to me, but luckily he is a minor character, and listening to it for the second time, it's much easier to handle.

All in all, though, I would highly recommend this book! Sit down, have a beer, maybe even invite a few friends over, and enjoy. You will not regret a single minute spent listening to this masterpiece.

great story and preformance

love everything about this series except the authors lack of motivation to continue the story in a timely manner. may have to just write it off as no longer interested like game of thrones.

Genre Genius!!

I read this in hardback when it first came out and fell in love with the story. I was a little concerned about the audio version, because a poor narrator could have ruined it for me, but I love Nick Podehl's Kvothe. I won't go into story synopsis, as so many others have ... just my comment that it is a lovingly crafted tale that took my breath away.

I see some of the less then stellar reviews ... only have to say "sorry you didn't *get* it" ;)

The Best one of ALL

I've listened to a lot of books, but this one is the best of all. So detailed, so dramatic, so funny. I can't say enough about it. The narrator has a pleasant voice and reads the book so artfully. Every single conversation is geared to further the story, even those that don't seem meaningful come back up in surprising ways. Can't wait for the next one.

Great.

Loved it. nice to listen to a great book. I had read it once before, but enjoyed the ausible.

Brilliant

Simple, complex, subtile, wise. You will be missing a great treat and great performance if you let this one slip by.

Excellent

The Martian. That's the only audiobook that beats this performance. If you've listened to The Martian, you'll understand what high praise that is.

Awesome story that sucks you in!!

This story is told in a much different style and format that your conventional fantasy that is rather refreshing!

The story sucked me in so I wanted to just keep listening, 50 hours was done before I realized I was at the end! Now I am writing this review while waiting for the next book to download.

In your typical fantasy novel there is a general story that most follow:
Hero is raised in middle of nowhere and dreams of leaving, strangers come to village and/or disaster of some sort happens, hero is called upon to leave home, the resulting quest it the story.
Obviously there are lots of different books out there and they all have their own twist on this some fashion but they follow that basic outline.
THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE STORIES!!!

Rothfuss' way of telling this story is brilliant and a much welcomed change from the norm.

At the beginning of the book I was completely confused for about 8 chapters as to what was going on. Honestly I thought maybe I had missed a prologue or something because the story seemed to be starting in the middle and referring to things that, in your typical fantasy layout, would have been explained much sooner. But after those 8 chapters it starts to make sense and gets really interesting! The format of that reminds me of how some mystery novels are written, if that helps to make sense of what I am meaning.

For me almost every audio book I have listened to has been a bit slow as far as the pace of the performance, almost as if they are intentionally reading slowly and have to speed them up to 1.15 - 1.25 times speed. But that might just be a thing for me.
1.15 was the perfect speed for me in this book not too rushed nor audio altering of the performance to degrade the amazing talent that gave this story a voice. Podehl is great at changing his voice to allow you to see the story not just hear it!

The best

The best book I have ever had the privilege to listen to. Masterful reading! Masterful writing! The story is the greatest epic this side of 1990!